Nelson Makamo (South African 1982- ) GIRL IN DRESS

Estimate

R50,000 - R80,000

Hammer

R90,000

Nelson Makamo (South African 1982- ) GIRL IN DRESS

More Information

sign and dated 09
charcoal and pastel on paper
70 by 150cm, unframed

Makamo’s creative process is not planned, as he states “… I always just go with what compels me at the time. The mediums that I use depend on what kind of impact the content of the work will be. It is always different” (Rise Art, 2018). He also states that, because of his consistent subject matter, he can explore many mediums, making use of oil, acrylic, various printmaking techniques, charcoal, and pastel. His focus also tends towards the emotive rather than the technical; because the subject matter is so personal, Makamo wants the viewer to feel rather than ‘unpack.’ This is evident when watching the artist at work, he makes no attempt to reign in his brushstroke, pouring in all the childlike vigour he would like the viewer to experience as well.

Makamo’s cousin, 11-year-old Mapule Maoto, is his most frequent subject matter – this adds to the personal appeal of his work, the subject at hand is very dear to him. As the artist states “Later on in life we sometimes forget there’s beauty in being a human being. But children are just discovering that” (Blignaut, 2019). As a child growing up, Makamo loved cartoons and comic books. Due to this, he uses a paired down visual language in his work to communicate – as he states “… I’m not a good speaker, so when I approach the work, I approach it with a mentality of hoping I will be able to have a voice that the next person is unable to” (Hona Africa, 2017). This creative process and visual language can be likened to some of his artistic influences, Dumile Feni, Vincent van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso.

Blignaut, C. SA's newest art superstar Nelson Makamo is an optimist. 2019. [O]. See: https://www.news24.com/citypress/Trending/sas-newest-superstar-is-an-optimist-20190209

Nelson Makamo, in Rise Art. 2018. [O]. See: https://www.riseart.com/artist/63379/nelson-makamo

Nugent, C. The Story Behind the Painting on TIME's Optimists Cover. 2019. [O]. See: https://time.com/5505915/nelson-makamo-time-optimists-cover/